Recipes Under 400

Dark Chocolate Banana Almond Smoothie

• 1 medium ripe banana (a little brown)
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp (5g) dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 oz (14g) of cocoa roasted almonds (most of the fat is from these, so good fat!)
• About 10 ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in the blender except the ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Add the ice cubes (start with six and add as needed), blend again.

Another option is to replace the almonds with protein powder, though you won’t get that almond flavor.

Makes one serving for 250 Calories.

Fat 20g/ Carbs 29g (Fiber 7g, Sugar 20g), Protein 6g

White Bean Salad with Za’atar

Serve this unusual salad over leafy greens, as a stuffing for pita bread, or as a dip for pitas or crackers.

• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, minced
• 1 kohlrabi, peeled and diced small (or other crunchy vegetable, see note)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup minced parsley
• 2 16-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed well and drained
• 1/2 package lite silken tofu (about 6 ounces)
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon tahini (optional)
• 3 to 4 teaspoons za’tar (or 2 tsp. sumac, 1 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. sesame seeds)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Place the bell pepper, celery, kohlrabi, green onions, parsley, and all but 1/2 cup of the beans into a large serving bowl.
2. Place the remaining ingredients, including the reserved beans and juice of half a lemon, into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add this dressing to the bowl and stir well to coat. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour, but better the next day. Check seasonings and add more salt, lemon juice, and za’tar to taste. Serve sprinkled with additional parsley or za’tar.

Notes

You can use about a cup of any crunch-providing vegetable or fruit instead of the kohlrabi. Water chestnuts or jicama would provide a neutral flavor while Asian pears or apples would contribute a hint of sweetness.

Makes six servings, 215 calories each

1.7g total fat, 56.7mg sodium, 37.6g carbohydrates (9.7g fiber, 2.4g sugar), 14.5g protein

Honey Baked Lentils

Lentils aren’t terribly photogenic, but they’re lovely none the less.

• 2 1/3 cups lentils (1 lb)
• 1 small bay leaf
• 5 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup honey

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven or saucepan combine lentils, bay leaf, 5 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil.
2. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. In a bowl combine dry mustard, ginger, soy sauce, onions and 1 cup water and add to lentils (fish that bay leaf out before adding though!).
5. Pour honey on top and cover tightly. Bake for 1 hour.

Serve with rice, naan, pita, or alone!

Makes eight servings, 250 Calories each.

Fat .8g / sodium 716.7mg / Carb 46.4g (fiber 17.3g sugar 13.2g) / Protein 14.9 g

Ground Turkey with Potatoes and Spring Peas

Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium tomato
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 20 oz 93% lean ground turkey
• 4 medium scallions, chopped
• 1 cup fresh peas
• 1 potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cumin, or to taste
• salt, to taste
• 1 bay leaf

1. In a mini food processor or you can chop by hand finely chop tomato, garlic and cilantro. 
2. In a large skillet, brown turkey and season with salt and cumin to taste.
3. When meat is browned and cooked through add scallions, chopped tomato mixture, peas, potato, tomato sauce, water, cumin, salt and bay leaf
4. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed. Remove bay leaf. Best over rice or other grain.

Makes five one-cup servings, 209 Calories each.
Fat: 6.9 g • Carb: 17.3 g • Fiber: 3.5 g • Protein: 21 g • Sugar: 1.4 • Sodium: 331.4(without salt)

Salsa Chicken (Cooking Light)

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup bottled salsa
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1  (4-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives

1. Preheat oven to 475°.
2. Combine chicken and seasoning in a medium bowl, tossing to coat.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
4. Arrange chicken in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with salsa, cheese, and chiles.
5. Bake at 475° for 8 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is melted.
6. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 1/2 teaspoons olives.

Makes four servings, 207 Calories each (3.5g Fat, 33.4g Protein, 9.5g Carb [2.1g Fiber]).

*Options! Try your favorite fruit salsas with this as well!

Watch the sodium on your salsa and seasonings for this recipe!

Blueberry-Peach Crisp

• 6  cups peeled sliced fresh peaches
• 2  cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon

Topping

• 1  cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3  tablespoons soft butter

1. Combine peaches and blueberries in an 8 cup casserole.
2.  In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon.
3. Add this mixture to the casserole.
4. Mix well with fruit.

For Topping.

1. Combine rolled oats, sugar and cinnamon.
2. Cut in butter until crumbly and sprinkle over fruit mixture.
3. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or microwave on high for 10 minutes, until mixture is bubbling and fruit is fork tender.
4. Serve warm or cold.

vegan pizza muffins!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole wheat english muffin (120)
• 1/4 cup pizza sauce (33)
• [half of 1/3 cup] veggie shreds “cheese” (35)
• 6 veggie pepperonis (23)
• other toppings you want!

put sauce on the muffin, then whatever you want however you want. bake for about 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees F. it may look pretty weird after baking because it’s all pseudo-animal products, but it tastes great!

one serving (aka 2 pizza muffins) at 213 calories

—in the picture, the left has spinach under the cheese; the right has kale—

Vegan’s be careful, since most English muffins are not going to be dairy and egg free.

Brazilian Grilled Flank Steak

Ingredients

Steak

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small hot pepper, such as jalapeño or serrano, minced
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pounds flank steak

Salsa

• 1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 small hot chile, such as jalapeño or serrano, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat grill to high (see Broiling Variation).

2. To prepare steak: Combine garlic, hot pepper, oil and salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on both sides of steak.

3. To prepare salsa: Combine hearts of palm, tomatoes, onion, hot pepper, cilantro, vinegar and salt in a medium bowl.

4. Reduce grill heat to medium and grill the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the steak across the grain into thin pieces. Serve with the salsa.

Tip: Broiling variation:
Instead of grilling, in Step 1 position oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat broiler. In Step 4, cook steak on a broiler pan under the broiler until medium-rare, turning once, about 10 minutes total.

Makes 8 servings, 215 Calories each.

Macaroni with Asparagus, Fava Beans, and Arugula Pesto

Ingredients:

• 3 cups macaroni
• 2 cups fava beans, peeled and blanched
• 6 nice green asparagus spears

for the pesto:

• 2 large handfuls arugula, cleaned and spun dry
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or pine nuts)
• pinch salt
• splash lemon juice
• pinch Cajun seasonings (optional)

Directions:

make the pesto first:

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Place in a bowl until later.

and then:

1. Prepare the asparagus by cutting the tough woody end off, then slicing on the diagonal about 1 inch pieces.
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.
3. Cook the asparagus until al dente.
4. Remove from the pot of water and place in a bowl.
5. Put the peeled fava beans in the same boiling salted water and cook until al dente (when they begin to float – about 3 minutes or so).
6. Remove from the water and place in a bowl.
7. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook the macaroni.
8. When the macaroni is cooked, drain off the water.
9. Add most of the pesto and mix well.
10. Gently add in the asparagus and fava beans.
11. Serve the macaroni with dollops of pesto.

Makes six servings, 235 Calories each. 27 net carbs.

Barbecue Tempeh

Ingredients:

• 1 package tempeh (you could also use tofu)

for the bar-b-cue sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can small tomato paste
• 1 tbs. oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tbs. vinegar
• 2 tbs. brown sugar or corn syrup
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tabasco(optional)

Directions:

Slice the tempeh into bite sized pieces and saute in a frying pan with 1 tbs. oil.

For the sauce

1. In a small pan, heat the oil and saute the onion.
2. Add the ketchup, vinegar, cayenne, brown sugar salt and pepper.
3. Simmer until well blended.
4. When the barbcue sauce is ready, pour over the sauteed tempeh.

Makes two servings, 240 Calories each. Low carbers should stay away from this one.

Spinach al la Provence

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced in thin strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced in thin strips
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (use soy to keep it Vegan)
• 1 lg. Tbs. cashew nut butter
• 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
• 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 4-6 cups fresh spinach, washed large stems removed
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled and sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons spicy tofu pieces (optional)

Directions:

1. We make our own soy “cream cheese” by mixing 1/2 cup plain soy yogurt with 1 large tablespoon cashew nut-butter, 1 tsp. vegetable bouillon powder, and some lemon pepper.
2. For this recipe, we added 1 tsp. herbs de Provence.
3. Prepare the potatoes. Boil 3 good sized potatoes peel and slice.
4. Saute the sliced onion remove to a small dish.
5. Saute the sliced red and yellow bell pepper slices. Remove and reserve.
6. In the same pan, saute the spinach until just wilted.
7. Using individual spring form cake forms, use the outside ring to form the tart.
8. Place the spring form on a plate.
9. On the bottom, layer the potato slices.
10. Place a layer of herbed “cream cheese” over the potatoes.
11. Add a layer of sauteed spinach.
12. Top with the sauteed bell pepper, the sauteed red onion and optionally the spicy tofu.
13. Place the tart in a warm oven to warm for 10- 15 minutes.
14. To serve: carefully remove the spring form.

Makes two servings, 215 Calories each.

Top tier - sauted eggplant, kale, and bell peppers, plum tomatoes - 50

Bottom Tier - bunch of grapes, figs - 200

Grilled Green Shrimp

1. 1 To prepare the marinade, combine the parsley, basil, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a zip-close plastic bag. Add the shrimp. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, 1 hour to overnight.
2. 2 Spray a nonstick ridge grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, grill the shrimp until they are just opaque in the center and lightly browned on the outside, 2-3 minutes on each side.